


cut to the feeling

by Yellow



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: M/M, Nightmares, juno gets a talking to, wacky coincidences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-22
Updated: 2017-07-22
Packaged: 2018-12-05 13:39:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11579187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yellow/pseuds/Yellow
Summary: "No one told him the missing person he was investigating was Peter Nureyev. Well, okay, missing person turned definitely-kidnapped-person turned his-sort-of-ex, tied up in a grungy Hyperion City apartment and surrounded by big, burly men and women."Juno runs into his sort-of-ex. It's not the worst day he's ever had.





	cut to the feeling

**Author's Note:**

> i love this podcast and i need them 2 kiss again
> 
> did i name this after a crj song? yes, because i'm living my best life

No one told him the missing person he was investigating was _Peter Nureyev_. Well, okay, missing person turned definitely-kidnapped-person turned his-sort-of-ex, tied up in a grungy Hyperion City apartment and surrounded by big, burly men and women.

The funny thing is that this time, Nureyev was the one who looked surprised.

Juno didn't get to see him surprised often.

The not-so-funny thing: Juno might have been tied up, too. Just a little.

So. This was happening. Juno took stock.

Well, he was tied, but he'd been tied up more thoroughly before. There was the issue of the four guards, five now, with the addition of the one who'd found him prowling around and gotten the jump on him. Blind spot, you see. Still adjusting.

Then there was the issue of Peter Nureyev, who Juno couldn't give the impression of knowing, and who Juno really, really didn't want to die.

He tried to get a sense of Nureyev. Why was _he_ still here? Was four too long of odds? Juno knew he could escape those zipties in a second given the chance. And then there was that wide-eyed surprise when Juno was walked in. Fuck. He didn't need Nureyev playing the hero for him.

Not that he should read into that gaze. Nothing more than surprise, for the asshole who walked out on him. Still.

He snuck a glance to his right but Nureyev was staring straight forward, face blank. Sure, okay. Great. Guess Juno was making up the plan as he went.

“Who's this guy?” Juno started.

The biggest woman hit him in the gut. Friendly. Nureyev didn't react besides a small twitch in his fingers.

Juno coughed.

“Nice to meet you too,” he said.

“Shut up or I'll hit you again,” she said. She had short-cropped dark hair and the most muscular arms he'd seen this side of the Kanagawas. Juno grinned. Look, it wouldn't be the first time he spat up blood because of his big mouth.

“Look, I appreciate the hospitality,” Juno said, “but I've really got to be going. Missing persons case.”

The woman hit him again, and this time, yep, there was the blood. He spat on the floor, not at the woman-didn't want to get her angrier-but just to the left. When he looked ahead again, he could see Nureyev's fingers twitching out of the corner of his eye.

Okay, Juno. Think. Why would Nureyev still be here? Information, maybe. Though that was all thrown into chaos with Juno there.

Juno decided he'd give Nureyev ten minutes to work, and then he was starting the fight that would get them out of here, whether or not he was done. Ten minutes. Professional courtesy.

He pretended to be subdued, slumping in his chair.

“What were you doing, snooping around here?” a smaller woman asked.

“Just wanted to see the inside of an abandoned building,” Juno said, and the large woman hit him in the head. He let out an “oof.” That one actually hurt.

“I told you earlier, alright!” he said. “Missing persons case. Following a lead. Doesn't look like it came to anything.”

“But now you know we've got operations here,” the smaller woman said. “Well. Too bad for your missing person.” She nodded at the large woman and said, “Judy.”

And Juno was pulled up from the chair by his wrists. Judy pulled him towards the door, and then there was a dramatic sigh from behind him. Well. So much for ten minutes.

“You've really made a mess of things, Juno, dear,” Peter Nureyev said, before he stood up, zip-ties falling to the floor, and hit Judy over the head with his chair.

Juno dodged out of the way and by the time he was back on his feet Nureyev had the smaller woman in a chokehold.

“Juno, would you please look in my pockets for my knife?”

Juno gave him a look- _no killing_ \- before acquiescing. He passed Nureyev the knife and Nureyev held it to her throat. The three remaining guards leveled their blasters at Juno.

“Ah, ah,” Nureyev said. “You kill either of us and I slit her throat.”

And then he started walking backwards out of the room, holding the woman. Juno went just ahead of them, looking for more guards. Fuck, he wished he had his blaster, useless as it might be with one eye.

They crept down the stairs and made it to the door, then out to the street.

“My keys are in my pocket,” Nureyev said, and Juno went searching. He pulled out a small keychain and pressed the button. A small, flashy car came pulling up to the curb.

“Okay,” Nureyev said. “Juno, would you care to drive?”

Juno climbed in the car and opened up the other door for Nureyev.

“Right,” Nureyev said, and hit the woman on the head with the end of his knife.

She staggered away and he jumped into the car.

“Drive!”

Juno hit the gas and the car squealed away from the curb. Blaster fire rang out in the distance but Juno took some tight turns down alleys and then the two of them were gone.

Then, silence.

“Thanks,” Juno said, after a while.

“I wasn't going to leave you there,” he said. Another silence. Juno could guess what Nureyev was thinking.

“Well, thanks anyway,” Juno said. “I guess you're my missing person?”

“Richard?”

Juno laughed.

“Yeah.”

“Who wanted me found?”

Juno glanced over at him.

“Apparently you did great work for one of Hyperion city's biggest crime bosses, then disappeared. They were...concerned.”

Nureyev rolled his eyes.

“I _thought_ I told them I was going off planet for a while.” He started muttering and checking records on his phone.

“Well, apparently they didn't believe you,” Juno said.

They were getting close to the office now. To Juno's place. He pulled over.

Nureyev opened the door.

“Well,” Nureyev said, and looked at Juno for almost the first time since they'd gotten into the car. “I should get off planet, for real this time, before they do anymore digging.”

“Ah, so I rescued you but then you had to leave immediately for a family emergency.” Juno shrugged. “Good enough for me.”

“Goodbye, detective,” Nureyev said, starting to stand.

“Wait,” Juno said, throat dry. Nureyev paused. “I need some proof you're alive, at least.”

Nureyev gave him a long look, then signed “Richard Freyne” on a piece of paper.

“There,” he said, and gave Juno a complicated look. “I'm afraid I have to go now.”

“Nureyev,” Juno said, and grabbed his sleeve. “Look, I'm an idiot.”

Nureyev stopped and considered.

“Yes, I knew that. Anything else for me or should I be on my way?”

“Peter,” Juno said, throat catching on the word. Nureyev turned to look at him.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left. Will you come with me and talk about it?”

Nureyev took a moment, fingers curling back to just brush Juno's hand.

“Okay,” he said, and there was something fragile in his voice, _Peter's_ voice, not Duke or Rex's or any other's.

Juno got out of the car-stolen, anyway, he assumed.

They walked in silence to his apartment, hands brushing every few steps. They climbed the stairs in silence and then they were alone.

 

* * *

 

“You want a drink?” Juno said, awkward.

“Absolutely,” Nureyev said. Juno slid him a glass of whiskey and he drank it in a few gulps.

Juno looked at him.

“...Want another one?”

“Dammit, Juno,” Nureyev said.

“I'm bad at this, okay.”

“Yes, I know that quite well.” He wiped his thumb across his lower lip, and Juno watched him.

“You talked about trust,” Nureyev said, not looking at him. “You talked about trust so much and then I thought you finally trusted me! I thought that was it! You- saw. I think I can guess what you saw.”

Juno swallowed.

“I know.”

Nureyev looked up at him, long and blank.

“I trust you,” Juno said. “I just-I can't leave.”

“Yes,” Nureyev said, exhausted. “Because you can't stop self-flagellating long enough to even take a vacation.”

Juno is quiet a moment.

“I can't just give up on these people.”

“So instead you gave up on me,” Nureyev said.

There's another terrible silence.

“I missed you,” Juno said.

Nureyev looked at him for a long time.

“You wouldn't have had to.”

“I know,” Juno said, voice rough. “I thought about that every day for the last six months.”

Nureyev is quiet this time.

“I just don't know what else I can give you for you to trust me,” he said, soft. “I thought-” He stopped and laughed. “I thought too much, presumably.”

“You came back for me,” Juno said. “I trust you. It's not you.”

A shorter silence this time.

“Will you stay?” Juno asked, finally. “I would really like you to stay.”

Nureyev looked at his hands.

“Will you be there tomorrow morning?” he asked, quietly.

“Yes,” Juno said.

“One night,” Nureyev said.

“Okay,” Juno said. “Okay.”

They walked into his bedroom and Juno mechanically began getting ready for bed, trying not to look at Nureyev.

He crawled into bed and waited.

Nureyev slipped into bed next to him and sighed, deep.

“Come here,” he said, and kissed Juno slow, long, but without intent. Then he wrapped his arms around Juno and pulled him close.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry,” Juno said, throat thick with relief and guilt.

“I know.” Nureyev still sounded exhausted, but he was there. He was there, and Juno reached up to kiss him, once, and then tucked himself back into Nureyev's arms and went to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Juno startled awake.

There was a groan from his left and Juno grabbed for his gun before seeing it was Nureyev, head thrown back against the pillows, long throat exposed.

Juno exhaled. Nureyev made another noise, brow furrowing, eyes scrunching up. Juno'd had enough nightmares to know when he saw one, and he reached a hand out for Nureyev's shoulder.

The second he made contact Nureyev grabbed his wrist and flipped on top of him, pinning him down.

“Hey,” Juno protested, and Nureyev looked down at him, breathing heavily. His eyes looked red, and something in Juno's chest twinged painfully.

“Juno,” he said, and loosened his grip on Juno's wrists. “I-sorry,” he said, moving off of him and rolling back to the other side of the bed.

“Hey,” Juno said, catching his arm and pulling him to roll over and look at Juno. “Are you okay?”

“Just a...nightmare,” he said, not looking at Juno's face. “Trade hazard, as I'm sure you know.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Juno said.

Nureyev still wasn't looking at him.

“Don't ever threaten to die for my benefit ever again.”

Oh. “Oh,” Juno said, and pulled Nureyev close. Nureyev went, tucking his face into Juno's neck.

“Sorry,” Juno said, and Nureyev took a few deep breaths. Juno reached for his hand, and Nureyev grabbed on.

“I'm not very good at this,” Juno said.

“You just being here helps,” he said, and Juno imagined Nureyev in a series of hotel rooms, waking with a jolt, alone, no way to check Juno was actually alive. He gripped Nureyev's hand harder.

“Can you tell me about your day?” Nureyev asked, and Juno started rambling about Rita and his end of the case, everything until he got captured. Nureyev's breathing slowed, and his eyes started drifting shut.

“You have to go back to sleep too,” he said, drowsy, reaching up to run a hand through Juno's hair.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said.

Nureyev fell asleep soon after. God, what a bad thief. Juno could kill him right now and Nureyev wouldn't notice until the knife was in his chest, up to the hilt.

Juno took a deep breath. He still wore that fucking cologne.

It was nice. It was a scent he'd imagined a hundred times but the reality was much better than his lonely memories.

He threw an arm over Nureyev and went back to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Juno opened his eyes slowly. Peter Nureyev was staring back at him.

“You're here.”

“It _is_ my apartment,” he said, and immediately regretted it.

“Charming as ever,” Nureyev said, rolling his eyes, but he didn't get up.

Juno took his hand.

“Does that happen...often?”

“What, a lady walking out on me?”

“You know what I mean,” Juno growled.

“Yes, Juno,” he said, curt. “We were tortured and you tried to sacrifice yourself and then we were abruptly separated; that's a recipe for trauma.”

Juno was quiet a moment, looking at Nureyev's hand.

“Do you want to stay a little while?”

“What?” He looked surprised again. Second time in two days.

“I meant what I said, back in that hotel,” Juno said, quiet.

Nureyev laughed a little.

“In our line of business, my dear, actions speak louder than words.”

“Then take what I'm offering,” Juno said. “I'm trying, dammit.”

“You are,” Nureyev said, quiet.

Juno rolled on his back so he didn't have to watch Nureyev decide.

“Okay,” he said, still in that small voice.

“Okay?” Juno said. “Oh, that's-that's good,” he said, rolling back over, and tried out a smile.

“Nureyev,” Juno said, and put a hand on his face.

“Honestly, Juno,” he said, “I'm in your bed. Call me Peter.”

“Okay then,” Juno said, smile widening. “Peter.”

Peter rolled on top of him and kissed him, long and sweet.

“Juno,” he said, and smiled back.

 


End file.
